US President Donald Trump (Photo credit: AP)
US President Donald Trump on Saturday said the US peace plan for ending the nearly four-year Russia-Ukraine war is “not my final offer” to Kyiv, suggesting the Thanksgiving deadline could be extended if progress is made in negotiations. The remarks hint at Washington’s intent to push for a settlement while leaving room for flexibility in talks, amid growing European concerns over elements seen as favouring Moscow.Speaking to the reporters in Washington, Trump said, “Ukraine war should have never happened; “If I were president, it never would have happened. We’re trying to get it ended one way or the other. We have to get it ended” he added.On being asked if Zelensky rejects the plan, the US President said “then he can continue to fight his little heart out.”The statement came as European, Canadian, and Japanese leaders at the G20 expressed concern that key elements of the plan including territorial concessions and caps on Ukraine’s armed forces could tilt the balance in Moscow’s favour noting that the draft contained “important elements” for a durable peace but would “require additional work”, citing worries about proposed border changes and limits on Ukraine’s armed forces, the BBC reported. President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Ukraine faced “one of the most difficult moments in our history” as pressure mounted to consider terms critics say favour Moscow. US insists Ukraine proposal is American plan, not Russian ‘wish list’The US State Department on Saturday denied claims by a group of senators that the 28-point plan to end the Ukraine conflict was a “Russian wish list,” insisting that the proposal was authored by the United States, with input from both Kyiv and Moscow, AFP reported.State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on X, “This is blatantly false. As Secretary Rubio and the entire Administration has consistently maintained, this plan was authored by the United States, with input from both the Russians and Ukrainians.”The comments came after senators alleged earlier that President Donald Trump was promoting terms favourable to Russia in the ongoing peace discussions.The US proposal, according to ABC News, would see Ukrainian forces withdraw from parts of Donetsk currently under Kyiv control and accept de facto Russian control of Donetsk and Luhansk, along with recognition of Crimea’s 2014 annexation. It also envisages frozen front lines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia and would cap Ukraine’s military strength; one draft suggests a limit of about 600,000 personnel and deployment of Western fighter jets in neighbouring Poland.The White House has set a Thanksgiving deadline of November 27 for Kyiv to accept the plan and is sending a delegation to Geneva to begin detailed consultations. ABC reported the US team will include secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll; a separate meeting with Russian representatives is also planned.At the G20, leaders signed a joint statement noting the draft could be a basis for further work but underlining that “borders must not be changed by force” and expressing concern that proposed limits on Ukraine’s forces would leave it vulnerable to future attack, the BBC reported.Kerry-level and security officials from the UK, France, Germany, the US and Ukraine are due to meet in Geneva on Sunday, according to the BBC, as allies seek to reconcile the US text with Kyiv’s core demands for sovereignty and sufficient defence capability.This comes days after Russian President Vladimir Putin cautiously welcomed the US peace plan for Ukraine, saying it “could form the basis of a final peace settlement,” while criticising Kyiv for opposing it, Reuters reported. Speaking at a meeting of Russia’s National Security Council on Friday, he described Ukraine’s stance as unrealistic. The plan, developed by the United States, incorporates several of Moscow’s long-standing demands, including territorial concessions, a reduction in the size of Ukraine’s armed forces, and a halt to NATO membership ambitions, while offering limited security guarantees. Putin added that although Russia had received the text, it “has not been discussed with us in any substantive way,” suggesting that Ukraine and its European allies “still dream of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia on the battlefield. Ukraine’s leadership, while saying it is prepared to negotiate, reiterated that any settlement must preserve Ukraine’s security and territorial integrity.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Kyiv faces a “very difficult choice,” balancing the need to protect its national dignity against the risk of straining key international partnerships. Speaking to the nation, he said Ukraine would continue consultations with the United States and European allies to ensure any agreement is fair. Zelenskyy held a nearly hour-long discussion with US vice president JD Vance and army secretary Dan Driscoll to review the proposed peace plan, acknowledging the intense pressure facing his country.(With inputs from agencies)
